The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Identifying cardiorespiratory neurocircuitry involved in central command during exercise in humans

Identifying cardiorespiratory neurocircuitry involved in central command during exercise in humans
Identifying cardiorespiratory neurocircuitry involved in central command during exercise in humans
For almost one hundred years, the exact role of human brain structures controlling the cardiorespiratory response to exercise (‘central command’) has been sought. Animal experiments and functional imaging studies have provided clues, but the underlying electrophysiological activity of proposed relevant neural sites in humans has never been measured. In this study, local field potentials were directly recorded in a number of ‘deep’ brain nuclei during an exercise task designed to dissociate the exercise from peripheral feedback mechanisms. Several patient groups had electrodes implanted sterotaxically for the treatment of movement disorder or chronic pain. Fast Fourier transform analysis was applied to the neurograms to identify the power of fundamental spectral frequencies. Anticipation of exercise resulted in increases in heart rate, blood pressure and ventilation. The greatest neural changes were found in the periaqueductal grey area (PAG) where anticipation of exercise was accompanied by an increase of 43% in the power of the 12–25 Hz frequency band (P = 0.007). Exercise increased the activity by 87% compared to rest (P = 0.006). Changes were also seen in the 60–90 Hz band when anticipation or exercise increased power by 32% (P = 0.006) and 109% (P < 0.001), respectively. In the subthalamic nucleus there was a reduction in the power of the beta frequency during both anticipation (7.6 ± 0.68% P = 0.001) and exercise (17.3 ± 0.96% P < 0.001), whereas an increase was seen with exercise only at higher frequencies (93 ± 1.8% P = 0.007). No significant changes were seen in the globus pallidus during anticipation of exercise. We provide direct electrophysiological evidence highlighting the PAG as an important subcortical area in the neural circuitry of the cardiorespiratory response to exercise, since stimulation of this structure is known to alter blood pressure in awake humans.
0022-3751
605-612
Green, Alexander L.
099ecb5e-2d66-41f3-9d1b-dc723a9bb01f
Wang, Shouyan
fa12f1bf-cac9-4118-abdd-9d52f235b05c
Purvis, Sarah
56235303-563f-419f-b7f9-ca2f31d8be91
Owen, Sarah L.F.
9a001cbb-51b7-466d-9eb9-2c8e8bff161d
Bain, Peter G.
a9691e26-7129-4eae-80b8-29e76b0ba31b
Stein, John F.
341274f8-3eee-4614-958c-635e0b498d78
Guz, Abe
5a375cbe-80cf-4b4d-87f0-9222719d66c6
Aziz, Tipu Z.
84768d79-fc87-4c3e-8955-d2e72ca5e6a0
Paterson, David J.
cd51301d-9cfe-42de-81e1-aac2bfe0d5fd
Green, Alexander L.
099ecb5e-2d66-41f3-9d1b-dc723a9bb01f
Wang, Shouyan
fa12f1bf-cac9-4118-abdd-9d52f235b05c
Purvis, Sarah
56235303-563f-419f-b7f9-ca2f31d8be91
Owen, Sarah L.F.
9a001cbb-51b7-466d-9eb9-2c8e8bff161d
Bain, Peter G.
a9691e26-7129-4eae-80b8-29e76b0ba31b
Stein, John F.
341274f8-3eee-4614-958c-635e0b498d78
Guz, Abe
5a375cbe-80cf-4b4d-87f0-9222719d66c6
Aziz, Tipu Z.
84768d79-fc87-4c3e-8955-d2e72ca5e6a0
Paterson, David J.
cd51301d-9cfe-42de-81e1-aac2bfe0d5fd

Green, Alexander L., Wang, Shouyan, Purvis, Sarah, Owen, Sarah L.F., Bain, Peter G., Stein, John F., Guz, Abe, Aziz, Tipu Z. and Paterson, David J. (2007) Identifying cardiorespiratory neurocircuitry involved in central command during exercise in humans. Journal of Physiology, 578 (2), 605-612. (doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2006.122549).

Record type: Article

Abstract

For almost one hundred years, the exact role of human brain structures controlling the cardiorespiratory response to exercise (‘central command’) has been sought. Animal experiments and functional imaging studies have provided clues, but the underlying electrophysiological activity of proposed relevant neural sites in humans has never been measured. In this study, local field potentials were directly recorded in a number of ‘deep’ brain nuclei during an exercise task designed to dissociate the exercise from peripheral feedback mechanisms. Several patient groups had electrodes implanted sterotaxically for the treatment of movement disorder or chronic pain. Fast Fourier transform analysis was applied to the neurograms to identify the power of fundamental spectral frequencies. Anticipation of exercise resulted in increases in heart rate, blood pressure and ventilation. The greatest neural changes were found in the periaqueductal grey area (PAG) where anticipation of exercise was accompanied by an increase of 43% in the power of the 12–25 Hz frequency band (P = 0.007). Exercise increased the activity by 87% compared to rest (P = 0.006). Changes were also seen in the 60–90 Hz band when anticipation or exercise increased power by 32% (P = 0.006) and 109% (P < 0.001), respectively. In the subthalamic nucleus there was a reduction in the power of the beta frequency during both anticipation (7.6 ± 0.68% P = 0.001) and exercise (17.3 ± 0.96% P < 0.001), whereas an increase was seen with exercise only at higher frequencies (93 ± 1.8% P = 0.007). No significant changes were seen in the globus pallidus during anticipation of exercise. We provide direct electrophysiological evidence highlighting the PAG as an important subcortical area in the neural circuitry of the cardiorespiratory response to exercise, since stimulation of this structure is known to alter blood pressure in awake humans.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: January 2007
Organisations: Human Sciences Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 46601
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/46601
ISSN: 0022-3751
PURE UUID: 72f63d50-3b34-4cdd-aa87-a9a732373a33

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 12 Jul 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 09:25

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Alexander L. Green
Author: Shouyan Wang
Author: Sarah Purvis
Author: Sarah L.F. Owen
Author: Peter G. Bain
Author: John F. Stein
Author: Abe Guz
Author: Tipu Z. Aziz
Author: David J. Paterson

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×